Would you support Hull Tigers?

The name change discussion is well advanced in the other thread, and I don't mean for it to spill over into here. Instead, I just wanted to ask a simple question: Would you support a team called Hull Tigers?

I've left the poll intentionally vague. It's up to the individual as the whether they'd define supporting as following the team home or away, or merely watching them with interest whenever they're on the telly.

For my part, I don't think I would. In fact, I'm committed to not supporting this football club if it stops being Hull City. I've been a supporter of this club as long as I can remember. My Dad took me, and his Dad took him, and he remembers when his Dad took him to see City play Halifax Town in 1936. Over my lifetime it's been tremendous fun, and a huge privilege to support this club.

But if the name change goes through, I'm packing the whole thing in. I'll probably go see my local non-league team in London every other week. A fundamental part of football is that, whatever the reality, the people on the terraces feel a sense of ownership over the club and a sense of belonging with the other fans and teams. My own view is that changing the club's name to Hull Tigers dismisses 109 years of history and is an explicit statement that the club doesn't in any way belong to the fans. I don't think I could support that club.

- Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will pee on your computer.- Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.- There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast.

A random post-pub thought...but suppose some pesky fanzine wanker organised something for existing season ticket holders to sign promising not to renew in the event of City changing their name...could that work?

Keep voting guys. The poll's a good idea and we'll loudly publicise the outcome.

There is literally nothing on earth that cannot be improved by cheese.

I like Gazza_Gazza's idea. I can record some disappointed tutting sounds and email them across in MP3 format if that helps.

Sorry to piss on this delightful bonfire but unfortunately this poll is a. unlikely to get more than 150 voters, and b. a self-selecting sample so Nick Thompson would be quite within his rights to dismiss it as meaninglessly unrepresentative. I like your random post-pub thought better Andy. How about if, rather than a petition (we've got one of those, sort of) it was a "Dear Mr Allam/Mr Thompson" form letter with space left for you to fill in your season ticket details and then post it to the club?

What is the OSC doing? Aren't they canvassing their members? If I thought they were actually doing anything I might even consider joining. Maybe we need a Militant Tendency-style infiltration.

Aye, sounds a decent idea. Not a crappy Change.org petition though. We need something that's either real and tangible, or starting online but turning into something real and tangible (I'm riffing here, but perhaps all the names being arranged to spell "City 'Till I Die" on a banner?).

EDIT: I like Johnny Yen's idea of a letter signed by hundreds of season ticket holders, all bearing their names and seat numbers.

I, ________, a Hull City AFC season ticket holder of __ years and current occupier of seat number _______, wish to state in writing that I will not renew my season ticket if the name of the club is changed in any way.

In the event that a change of name occurs, please do not bother to send me an invitation to renew or contact me ever again.

Yours,

_______"

It doesn't read right yet, but if you fine people think there's potential here, we'll get to work. If City think cunting around like cunts is good for business, we'll show them that it's the precise opposite.

There is literally nothing on earth that cannot be improved by cheese.

It's a great idea and obviously I'd happily sign but I sadly feel that the new fans the opening of the KC bred are more interested in the sparkly Premier League than our history and heritage. A relegation would hit them harder than any name change. When are people going to wake up and realise you need to make a stand NOW to protect the future as well as the past.

Barney Gumble wrote:It's a great idea and obviously I'd happily sign but I sadly feel that the new fans the opening of the KC bred are more interested in the sparkly Premier League than our history and heritage. A relegation would hit them harder than any name change. When are people going to wake up and realise you need to make a stand NOW to protect the future as well as the past.

Indeed. I'll happily sign this, though I think truly making a stand against this would be to boycott games this season, not next.

I'm going to stick my head above the parapet and admit I'm one of the 3 who have clicked yes. It really doesn't bother me if the name changes, in the same way it didn't bother me moving from Boothferry Park to the KC, sharing our ground with the egg chasers or the kit changing from strips to tiger print to plain and back to stripes.

I can actually understand where "Dr" Alam is coming from. In the Far East the Tiger is an esteemed animal and people will follow a club just because of that. In the same way that Cardiff's owners wanted to change from blue to red as it will attract more global supporters. The club needs more income and this is not going to come from the 335 thousand people who live in East Yorkshire or probably even the 65 million in the UK. The growth area is the 7 billion people who live outside the UK.

Marathons became Snickers, Opal Fruits became Starburst, BT Cellnet became O2, East Yorkshire became Humberside and went back again, my wife became Mrs Black n Amber. Names change but the underlying people, products and places stay the same.

At the end of the day the club will still be based in the town where I was born and therefore I will continue to support them as I have for the past 19 years.

"compromising the safety of people across Huddersfield and West Yorkshire" Mark Burns-WilliamsonPolice and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire22nd March 2013

Black n Amber wrote:I can actually understand where "Dr" Alam is coming from. In the Far East the Tiger is an esteemed animal and people will follow a club just because of that.

Please, please expand on this Black n Amber. Please explain how this will happen and how it will raise money for Hull City. It's a hell of a statement to make - that people will ditch Manchester United and Real Madrid for Hull Tigers. Please explain it further. And how does Cardiff's colour change attract more global supporters? Please explain these things, because I've yet to find someone who can.

You seem to see football clubs as no different to businesses. You are Allam Sr's dream fan. Many businesses rebrand, but the reasons are never, ever based around the whim of an owner.

Twitter

Donate

Why?We don’t have adverts on Amber Nectar, we're a platform for Hull City fans' views, not a billboard for credit cards or dating sites. We fund the site ourselves, and we’re happy to do so, but when lovely people chuck coins at us to help with hosting costs, it's really appreciated. If you'd like to be a lovely person, Paypal is the best way.

About Us

Hull City fanzine Amber Nectar began life as a hardcopy publication back in 1998, the work of Tigers supporters Les Motherby and Andy Dalton.

The pair decided to create a fanzine after the end of Tiger Rag (1994-97) and its predecessors Hull, Hell and Happiness (1988-92), On Cloud Seven (1990-92), From Hull To Eternity (1990-92), Last Train To Boothferry Halt (1993) and Look Back In Amber (1992-94).